Vargo's Gothic Daily Card

August 30--IV of Cups

Hmmm...interesting card!!!

This card's standard meaning is boredom, apathy, dissatisfaction...restlessness possibly???

There are several gargoyles in this scene....every one of them seems to be experiencing a different emotion...

The central, winged creature on the top ledge looks angry, aggressive...almost playfully so, like he is saying "come on, mess with me...I DARE you!"...the gargoyle on his right looks at him with curiosity, while the one on his left looks bored or sad.

The three beasts on the lower ledge seem to be more restless and mischievous than the others....the one in the middle looks like the instigator of this group...trying to stir up trouble, stepping onto the back of his companion and preparing to leap down upon his unsuspecting victim. The bird-faced gargoyle is looking away, howling or laughing in anticipation of the night's activities...

Looking at all of these creatures together, I am reminded of a person who is very restless, not sure what to do next, having mixed emotions about where they might he headed next. Personally I am thinking this is related to my current job search situation...waiting for call backs, excited and nervous, anxious to get started with a new job....definitely a mix of emotions!!!

Luna

8 of pentacles, rev.

One gargoyle looks shocked, like his jaw has hit the ground in disbelief. The other is laughing maliciously. I hear that laugh... that's how I laugh when something is gallows-humor funny. Bitter laughter.

The truly freaky deaky thing was I pulled this Gothic daily, then went to my bedroom to do my other daily draws. I was thinking about the Gothic's 8 pentacles, how they're lined up much like the RWS post of hanging pentacles.

And then I split my Univ. Waite deck... oh yea. It was the 8 of pentacles... reversed as well. The post of pentacles was the first thing I saw when I split the deck, and it made me start laughing.

...(And thank you Knave of Wands for making your message clearer to me before yesterday's end. I think I understand a bit better now....)

August 31--VII Pentacles

A ghoulish figure dressed in a long, black cape and top hat stands solemnly at the gate...he gestures toward the opening to welcome me inside. I take a closer look at his face, and the vacant stare makes me shudder and quickly turn away....despite my initial hesitation, I hurry past him toward the dark, cavernous mansion waiting beyond the gate....

As I move slowly toward the stairs leading to the main entrance of the mansion, I take a few deep breaths and look around, feeling as though I am being watched. A shadow moves across the round, attic window above me...or maybe it was just my fear playing tricks on me??? As I stand now just in front of the door, I take another deep breath and think to myself: it's OK...you can do this!!! I know that I am ready to take a risk right now....that by entering this dark place, my fate is uncertain....yet I do not look back as my hand reaches toward the latch and pulls me forward...

Luna

September 2--II of Swords

Two swords are crossed, forming a barrier....looking beyond the swords I see an interesting pattern that is etched in the stone. There are four swirling, spirals that look like vines; between them, there are three stems with buds on the ends....to me they symbolize growth and stability (the number four), which are important goals for me right now.

Hovering above the points of the swords, a grinning skull beckons me to come closer...or is he taunting me because he sees my reluctance to touch the swords??? For the moment I am stuck, trying to figure out my options: the base or hilt of each sword looks like a cross, with a glowing red jewel in the center. Perhaps this indicates the need for both courage and faith if I have any hope of removing the barrier. I stand motionless... almost hypnotized by that grinning face....his eyes are empty, his motive for drawing me closer remains unclear.
I need to make a decision soon.....

This card is relevant to me as I continue to explore job/career opportunities...waiting for callbacks...feeling stuck.

Luna

September 3--II Pentacles

Hmmm....another two today!!!

This is interesting....instead of the "traditional" RWS image of a man juggling or tossing the two pentacles, these are chained to a wall sconce (which reminds me of one of those Victorian-era brass doorknockers, except this one was carved into the stone).
Like the RWS image, the left pentacle is slightly higher than the right. The horned creature above the pentacles has a strange expression on his face...fearsome yet strangely calm at the same time. Almost indecisive...is he ready to attack, or simply biding his time until the desire becomes stronger??? I mentioned on the Two of Pentacles study thread that IMO his face bears a strong resemblance to Bela Lugosi as Dracula (sans fangs!!!)....there is something familiar about him beyond that resemblance, which I cannot quite figure out.

The Two of Pentacles is about balance...."all work and no play" comes immediately to mind when I see this card, but the reverse might also be true: time to focus my energies on getting things done (I am a notorious procrastinator!!! ) and then being able to relax and enjoy some downtime...I am getting better at this lately, but I always need to be conscious of keeping balance in my life....good advice card for me!!!

Luna

Justice, rev. Again. I get so frustrated when cards do this to me, show up again and again without being clear why. Yesterday she was my card, also reversed, and she's been hanging around a lot lately, and I don't know why. Perhaps she's telling me to get back to work, I've dropped my sword again. I don't know what She wants any more.

Actually, if anything, it looks like holding on to that Sword is dragging her under. Upside down, she looks like she's being dragged down in a spiralling descent, with her sword as her anchor. The scales look very flat to me. No help at all there. Maybe she should just let it go... maybe she's on a task, burying the sword in the ocean deeps, instead of raising it to the heavens. Justice, I'll keep listening if you want to make yourself heard.

8 of Cups.

...I don't know what this card is doing here. It's 6:21 am as I type this, and I haven't slept at all, which means that this post is going to be somewhat belligerent and more nonsensical than usual. I've planned some fun stuff to do for the day, so it's pretty discouraging to get the 8 of Cups. Is this a warning that something bad will happen later? Or...does this card refer to my love life--as all Cup cards tend to do--indicating that today, I will finally find it in my heart to MOVE ON from my obsession with a certain guy onto something.........well, something else--I don't know what.

I look at this card and my eyes are especially drawn to the hand caressing the winged statue, and the other one on the tombstone. I sense the "lingering" feeling here--of wanting to stay within familiar territory, because the unknown is just so frightening. And besides, moving on takes a lot of work and energy. Better to just stay here.

I dunno, but to me this card seems negative. There's been another guy aside from the one I'm obsessed with, and he is a close friend of one of my friends, Bernice. I've asked Bernice to act as a "bridge" between this guy and me, since he and I aren't really close. Anyway, Bernice has at one point expressed annoyance over my being "boy crazy." I don't blame her for that For some reason I think this card addresses that issue...Humph...Well, I'll just have to wait till the end of the day. Too early to tell.

7 swords, rev.

The batwoman. Reversed, she looks like she's resting, waiting. Hanging around, like bats are wont to do. Even with her wings spread like that. I wish her hair was upside down, that would be fun to see. Her hair looks gray this morning in my eyes. She looks old, as if the situation she is waiting out is taking its own toll on her.

The swords. Whenever I get one of my musical cards now, I hear the melody too. Except, funny... here, you can reverse the melody too, just like the card... who knew? A descending - ascending arpeggio when reversed. [I should dig out my Vargo melodies to play with again today at the piano, and try turning them all upside down and see what happens. That would be fun. Balanchine did that at times with Stravinsky... he even turned his dancers upside down when the notes turned on the clefs].

The swords make a W. I hear the word, "Wait." Perhaps she's waiting. Hanging around. Not going forward, but not retreating. She's certainly holding her ground.

4 of Pentacles

I didn't actually draw this card but everytime I shuffled, it would invariably end up on the top, so I've made it into my daily card. It has a woman standing on a stone pillar with her eyes cast down. With one hand she's stroking the chin of a gargoyle who seems to be enjoying her caress. It's apparent she's the one in charge and holds an emotional control over the gargoyle. He is more dependent on her, than she is of him.

I'm not sure yet whether or not I'm the one controlling or the one being controlled. I'm leaning toward the latter since things have been pretty hectic for me lately and I feel like I've lost some of my inner control.

6 of Wands.... I started giggling to myself when I saw this card. I heard the rider shreiking in my ear "Ahhhh!!!" and I knew it was myself on the horse, making all that raucous, and laughing at myself is always good.

Look how fierce she looks, her hair all on end like that! Like her bristles, her hackles, are up... she's looking all mean and fierce to drive people away, shaking her wand at them "Ahhh!!!" Aren't you scared of me now?

I still see the Snow White Wicked Witch crown on her head. I reckon I am feeling a bit demonic.... I wonder who I'm trying to scare? "Mirror mirror on the wall...."